DSS: Towards Averting Public Disorders

DSS: Towards Averting Public Disorders

By Mukhtar Ya’U Madobi

The primary function of government is to guarantee the security of lives and properties of its citizens. In addition, it must also create an enabling environment where education, business and economic activities will thrive without hitches or threats by non-state actors and other external forces.

Nigeria as a country is dubbed as the ‘Giant of Africa’ owing to its strong economy and multi ethnic diversities. About 300 languages are being used as a medium of communication among more than 200million Nigerians so far.

Therefore, ensuring proper security in a heterogeneous society like that of Nigeria is one of those herculean tasks that need emplacement of professional security organizations with vast knowledge and requisite skills of discharging their functions to the best of ability.

In the same vein, intelligence gathering and information sharing, which has proven to be a critical weapon in fighting insecurities, can never be downplayed. Thus, security agencies must be instituted and saddled with this specific responsibility centred toward ensuring a harmonious nation and its subsequent protection among other mandates.

Hence, it is pertinent to remember that it is on this note, that the Nigeria’s Department of Security Service, DSS was established and properly equipped. And over the years, since its inception, the service has been very instrumental in providing adequate security to the country as well as maintaining law and order.

It is gratifying to learn that the agency had on several occasions averted national violence through gathering of credible intelligence and sending signals to other stakeholders in the security architecture for taking proactive measures aimed at eliminating the threat prior to its emergence.

In continuing to live up to its mandates, it can be recalled that on Saturday, March 19, 2022, the person responsible for image making in the service, Dr. Peter Afunanya has issued a press statement about how DSS uncovered plot by some miscreant elements to stage violence in the country, specifically in the north central part of Nigeria.

According to him, those evil merchants are trying to take advantage of the current situation in the country and utilise the services of some labour unions, striking varsity lecturers, students as well as misguided individuals to heat up the polity.

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The aim of this devilish cohorts is to instigate ethno-religious crises, communal clashes and reprisal attacks with an ulterior motive of turning it into a wide national civil unrest to reflect the tune of the dreadful #EndSARS protest that rocked the country in October 2020, the effects to which the country is still nursing to overcome.

The Statement reads in part, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby alerts the public of a sinister plan by some elements to stoke violence in parts of the country particularly the North Central. The aim is to cause ethno-religious crisis, ignite reprisals and heat up the polity. In a bid to achieve this, the sponsors have mobilised foot soldiers and held several meetings in and outside the target areas.

“The Service is also aware of a plot to use students, striking University teachers, labour unions, disgruntled individuals and strategic groups as well as exploit the global energy situation to carry out a mass protest like the ENDSARS. This is despite ongoing efforts by the Government to address the issue.

Meanwhile, for every right-thinking person who is abreast of security issues in Nigeria will take him only a few seconds to decipher why these agents of violence chose ‘North-central’ as the perfect avenue to scheme and initiate their heinous act. It is aware that the region, especially Plateau State has over the years became a flash point and epicentre of ethnic and religious violence coupled with herdsmen/farmers’ clashes.

Nevertheless, it is more worrisome that some disoriented group of individuals under the so-called Forum of Middle Belt Youth Presidents, coordinated blindly by one Terrence Kuanum, has set on the stage to temper with the good work of DSS into misguiding individuals that the service is closely monitoring the movement of three serving governors for their involvement in hatching of the earlier stated plot.

In addition, they falsely accused the highly reputable agency of being used as a tool to witch hunt governors who stand against the policy and might of the federal government. To make the agenda of their sponsors, they foolishly call for the sack of the DG SS, Malam Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

To set the record straight, DSS has never mention or hinted at any serving governor as accomplice to this plot in their statement, but rather it was one of the  National Dailies, Vanguard News, that published a news report on March 20, 2022, i.e. a day after the National Headquarters of DSS has released it’s statement, claiming that security agencies are keeping watch on three incumbent governors for their intent to instigate violence in Nigeria. However, Vanguard did not specifically credit this monitoring to any named security agencies.

So, how and why does this coalition of disoriented and confused youth forums were quick to jump into action by accusing DSS of such baseless and dumbfounded allegations? It is, however, shocking for youth groups to not be able to verify a claim before coming out to issue a statement. This kind of assertion emanating from them [youth] who ought to know better is disgusting and shameful, to say the least.

Subject to that, it is obvious that their ulterior motive, i.e. calling for the sack of DG SS is already dead on arrival and never finds a resting place in the minds of responsible Nigerians who wish well for the country.

On the other hands, a Civil Society Organization, CSO, had also utterly rubbished the unwarranted allegations labelled against the DSS by this immature middle belt youth groups who allowed themselves to be used by their paymasters as agents for satisfying their vicious political interest through heating up the polity.

In a press statement issued by the Convener of Save Nigeria Movement, SNM, on the 23rd March 2022, Rev Solomon Semaka was surprised on how the group ascribed Vanguard report to DSS, an unwise act that is akin to exposing their political paymasters.

“We are utterly surprised that the Middle Belt group would ascribe the Vanguard report to the DSS. But we seem to understand your fees. You are possibly exposing your masters by attacking what was never ascribed to them. How regrettable that you advertised your ignorance in the public space especially for malicious intents.

“To put the records straight and address the misinformation and outright lies contained in that press statement, it is the duty of DSS to gather intelligence and inform Nigerians about possible threats. It is also the duty of the DSS to take proactive steps to forestall and quell internal uprisings.

“If the DSS has uncovered a plot by some persons it did not mention to incite violence and make the country ungovernable, then they should be praised for doing their duty professionally,” said Semaka.

It is obvious that DSS works round the clock to safeguard lives and property in the country. And thus, the service cannot just sit down and fold its hands whenever they sighted danger capable of threatening the existence of Nigeria as a corporate entity.

Therefore, the public, especially youth who constituted about 60% of the country’s population, should not allow themselves to be lured by enemies of the nation into scheming evil plots capable of disturbing normalcy in the society. Hence, be guided as security is everybody’s business.

Mukhtar is a Staff Writer with Emergency Digest.